Action Careers: Employment in the High Risk Job Market PDF
Preview Action Careers: Employment in the High Risk Job Market
"Go for if best describes the motto of on action careerist. You really hove little to lose but boredom, and the rewards ore often great. There is a good living to be made. tion ateers RAGNAR BENSON CITADEL PRESS RAGNAR BENSON EMPLOYMENT IN THE HIGH-RISK JOB MARKET CITADEL PRESS SECAUCUS. NEW JERSEY Published 1988 by Citadel Press A division of Lyle Stuart Inc. 120 Enterprise Ave., Secaucus, N.J. 07094 In Canada: Musson Book Company A division of General Publishing Co. Limited Don Mills, Ontario Copyright ©1987 by Ragnar Benson All rights reserved. Published by arrangement with Paladin Press. ISBN: 0-8065-1079-X Printed in the United States of America Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in this book. Contents Introduction 1 Bodyguard 5 Border Patrol Officer 15 Bounty Hunter 25 Explosives Handler 35 FBI Agent 47 Fire Fighter 59 Gunrunner 77 Hunting and Fishing Guide 93 International Courier 103 Missionary 115 Peace Corps Volunteer 127 Photojournalist 139 Process Server 155 Private Eye 163 Repo Man 177 River Rafting Guide 189 Rodeo Cowboy 203 Secret Service Agent 211 Skydiving Instructor 223 Soldier of Fortune 239 Spy 251 Hi ACTION CAREERS Stunt Man 267 Test Pilot 281 Wildlife Management Trapper 291 Conclusion 301 Bibliography 305 Appendix A: Application Forms 309 iv IllfFOdllllctlOll Americans, of all people, do not have to be stuck in mundane, uninteresting, nine-to-five jobs. There are dozens of exciting action careers for those who crave something more exciting than frying burgers, installing rear ends or counting beans. All it takes to get into an interesting, fast- paced action career is the intense desire not to live a humdrum, conventional nine-to-five existence. Combine this will to live on the ragged edge with a long-range plan and ready willingness to take risks and face uncertain¬ ties, and virtually anyone can put it together. In addition to the strong need to live in the intense lane, one must be alert to the possibilities available and then be willing to work like hell to make an action career plan a reality. For those who really want action careers, America is truly a land of opportunity. Even otherwise dull, stodgy accountants and engi- 1 ACTION CAREERS neers can become industrial or political spies. The very exciting job of process server, for instance, is available in virtually every commu¬ nity " without training and often with very little overhead. In some places in the States, the services of explosives handlers are not only needed, they are vital. Certainly that is true of process servers and bounty hunters. This book is dedicated to those men of adventure who feel there are never any guar¬ antees and who feel that living life in the rut may be steady and certain, but it is also a terminal drag. Everyone will, in his lifetime, at least have a chance to get involved in something exciting. Most men don’t take that chance because they think they must see past the immediate future. They want more of a guarantee than just the excitement of the moment. Those who really, truly want action in their lives will have to decide early on that they will give up what few certainties life has in exchange for the excite¬ ment it can provide. Those in action careers will find their work is not only fun, but it is always interesting. The most others have to look forward to is work that is interesting. This book describes some of the many jobs that are available to action-oriented men. They all entail risk. Some entail great risk. Rodeo riders, for instance, are notorious for getting 2 Employment in the High-Risk Job Market busted up. Gunrunners go broke, get shot -- or make a million. The rewards are often great. There is a good living to be made, plus there is the realization that one is not out there scratching shit with the chickens. Rodeo riders, for example, can make $250,000 per year or more. The average starting salary of an FBI agent is $30,000 per year, with a top limit of $75,000. Stuntmen can expect to make about $40,000. Most men who have thought about it, wish they had elected to go for an action career. The woods are full of people who hate what they are doing and wish they would have twisted when they dodged and would have gone for the brass ring. Certainty and a steady career path be damned, they say. But many men feel it is too late. Perhaps not. There is always the industrial or political spy, or even the Peace Corps. (It may not be all that exciting, but the Peace Corps does open a million doors to a whole world of opportunity for anyone who is halfway innovative.) Perhaps the theme of this book should be "let’s go for it." There is really little to lose but boredom. Most of the jobs are really not as dangerous as they first seem to outsiders. But who cares? Who can even predict? To a great extent, it’s how you live it. Politicians are notorious for colon cancer. Accountants get 3 ACTION CAREERS ulcers. Even newspaper reporters get the shit kicked out of them at times. Most gunrunners I know, guys who really know what they’re doing, have never gotten the shit kicked out of them. 4
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